Fine weather conditions greeted a total of 128 riders who took part in the Team Madison Digicel Road Race.
Pitched as the Twin Peaks Race, the course took in the climbs of St. David’s Lighthouse, and one of the toughest hills in Bermuda, Knapton.
The Junior A and B categories raced a relatively flat course from the race start at John Smith’s Bay to Paynter’s Road and back. Winner of the Junior A over eight miles was Caleb Ingham, who was clocked across the line in 24:00.8 followed by Blake Oliviera in second with a time of 24:01.0 and Liam Flannery finished in third clocking 24:03.8.
The four mile Junior B race was won by Tommy Marshall after recording a time of 11:37.7, finishing ahead of Nazarai Fox who clocked 12:51.5, with Manning Smith taking third in 12:53.2.
The Female Junior B Division was won by Megan Hands who was 4th overall with a time of 15:53.50, followed by Zoe Hasselkuss who was 5th overall clocking 12:53.54 and Amber Smith recorded a time of 13:39.3 finishing as the third female and 6th overall.
The Adult A Division race was quickly brought into life by a five man breakaway representing the teams of Winners Edge, Tokio and Bicycle Works, which had established a 50 second lead by the first climb of St. David’s Lighthouse Hill.
The group maintained their lead over the course of two more laps that took them to the airport roundabout and back, but were reeled in by the main pack before the first ascent of Knapton Hill.
By the time the race passed the start/finish line, before two more climbs of Knapton, a lead Group of six riders had broken away. Young Winners Edge riders, Matthew Oliviera, Kaden Hopkins and Tyler Smith were joined by Chequan Richardson of Bicycle Works, Dave McComas of Tokio and Phil Mace of Team Madison Digicel.
This group managed to stay away until the final climb of Knapton, when Oliviera established a race winning lead which he held along South Shore Road to the finish in a time of 1:53:28.8, with Dave McComas finishing in second clocking 1:53:44.3 Phil Mace took third with a time of 1:54:08.0.
Young Kaden Hopkins suffered some bad luck on the last climb when his rear derailleur snapped while still in contention.
In the Adult B Division race Jonah Jones attacked early on and built up a one minute lead by St. David’s on the first lap.
He was later joined by Kevin Topple and Andrew Soares, and this trio managed to stay away from the main pack until the last Knapton Hill climb.
By the finish, mountain biker Robin Horsefield had attacked stayed ahead clocking a time of 1:41:55.7, finishing ahead of Adam Kirk who clocked 1:42:01.5. Veteran Kevin Topple held on for third place with a time of 1:42:06.1.
The Adult C Division race quickly split up over one lap of the St. David’s loop and two laps of Knapton Hill. Conor White rode to victory with a time of 1:05:30.0, with Ziani Burgesson finishing second in 1:05:33.9 who finished ahead of the third place finisher Karl Wilson who stopped the clock at 1:05:36.9.
In the Women’s race, which was held over the same course and distance as the Adult C, Martina Olcheski Bell of Team Madison Digicel broke away early, and held off Winners Edge riders, Karen Smith and Julia Hawley, who finished second and third respectively. Olcheski Bell was clocked at 1:08:11.2, Smith recorded a time of 1:10:01.8 and Hawley was clocked in at 1:10:01.9.
In what was the very first road race for the newly established Novice Women’s group, it was very encouraging to see 20 riders line up for a 17 mile race dash to St. David’s Lighthouse and back.
In the end it was a Team MisFits clean sweep of the podium, with Louis Wells taking the win in 51:49.5 ahead of Sharon Hammond who was clocked at 51:57.9 and Marina O’Shea clocked 52:24.5 finishing third.
Click Here to see the Full 2016 Bermuda Bicycle Association’s Team Madison Digicel Road Race Results
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